Lucca (20 page)

Eli ignored his sarcasm. “You came to my aid
when I needed it most. I will not forget it.” Eli’s gaze landed on
the book he held, actually reading the title. “Interesting.” The
fallen Angel with one wing stared back from the cover in dark
colors of black, gray, and deep blue. He turned his gaze back to
Gideon. “Finding your soul mate is the most awarding experience
you’ll ever have, no matter how many lifetimes you’ll live. But I
must warn you, if you’re interested in the girl…” He trailed off
for a moment as he glanced at Trinity then back to Gideon again.
“If the relationship goes far enough to reveal your true self, you
must inform her how her life will change. Being with a human is not
without sacrifices.”

“What do you mean?” He frowned, not
understanding where this conversation was heading.

Eli ran a hand through his dark strands. “A
brush of an angel’s wing is not just a human’s myth. She’s
changing, Gideon. Ryden will live longer, heal faster, as though
she is Nephilim.” He gave a short laugh, but the humor didn’t sound
joyous.

“This is good, isn’t it?” Gideon didn’t
understand Eli’s duress.

“Good for me. Not so great for Ryden. She’ll
outlive everyone she knows.” He looked away, placing the book down
he’d been holding. “Make sure your soul mate realizes what she’ll
have to give up before she commits.”

Gideon reached for Eli, gripping his arm.
“Does Ryden wish she could take it all back?”

Eli gave him a small smile. “No, but I would
have liked to have given her the choice. It’s not right otherwise.
What if she didn’t want to live lifetimes? Choice. We should always
give the ones we love a choice, don’t you agree?”

Gideon dropped his hand and nodded.
“Yes.”

Eli gave him a curt nod. His eyes shifted
and he stood up straighter, making him look regal even in his
button down shirt and jeans. “If you see Lucca, tell him I’d like
to have our talk. He’ll know what I mean.” He tapped the book. “And
good luck tonight.” His lips slid into a grin as he looked over
Gideon’s shoulder. “It looks like your woman is coming over to
speak to you.” Eli stepped around the table.

“She’s not my—” As he turned to give Eli the
last word on the subject, he came face to face with Trinity. Her
sky blue eyes landed on him, making him forget to breathe, let
alone speak.

“Do you need any help with anything?”

Her deep raspy voice caressed him, making
his one good wing ache, a cramp that wouldn’t go away unless he
shifted and let it spread wide. His gaze focused on her lips…
kissable lips, ready for tasting.

“Gideon?”

He shook his head, forcing his gaze away
from her before he forgot himself. “No, I have everything under
control.” He almost laughed. Control? Heck, he didn’t have anything
under control when it came to her.

Her hand touched his arm and heat warmed his
skin, sending a current through his veins. “Let me know if you do
need help. Your fans are already lined up outside. Billy will keep
the crowd under control and I’ll ring up the purchases.”

He chanced a look at her face again. Her
eyes met his, holding him captive. Speak fool, before she thinks
you’re an imbecile masquerading as a male being. “Thank you.”

She gave him a hesitant smile before turning
away.

“Trinity?”

“Hmm?” She looked back at him.

“Would you like to … uh … have coffee with
me sometime?”
Please say yes. Good Lord, what if she says no and
I’ve made a complete fool of myself.

She smiled again. “I thought you’d never
ask.”

Chapter Twenty-Six

Lucca needed to clear up a few things before
he met Juliet tonight. He had to tell the truth about him being one
of the Watchers. He knew she could sense other preternatural
beings, but not him. She believed he was human. He never claimed he
wasn’t a Watcher, but omitting the fact still constituted as a
falsehood.

He’d been banished from the Otherworldly
realm and was ordered to learn how to respect humans. To do so
meant to ignore his upbringing, his father’s demands, and he had,
hadn’t he? He befriended not one human, but two. Juliet and Owen
had somehow wiggled their way into his heart. He wanted a
relationship with Juliet so bad he could taste it. He would have
gone through with it too, but today at the crime scene he found
something that made their relationship impossible. Being with her
would put her in danger, but still he needed to warn her. He needed
to come clean and tell her everything.

His hand clasped the amulet in his pocket,
the amulet Arizul wore around his neck when Lucca lived under his
roof. The emblem resembled a pentacle with ancient words etched
around the star. He’d seen the damn thing up close.

He was five at the time. His gaze caught
sight of the amulet sitting on the table. He only wanted to look at
it, but his father accused him of trying to steal it. As a
punishment, he burned the Amulet into his palms. The Nephilim heal
fast and within the hour his skin healed, but his father burned his
palms over and over throughout the day. Just to make sure he
learned his lesson.

Barachiel may have released Leroy from his
body, but the other Time Guardian’s house stunk of evil. It
appeared his father stepped up his game of torture and added murder
to the long list of offenses.

Barachiel believed his father and Kasadya
joined forces. Lucca had a hunch his father released Kasadya by
accident. One thing he knew about Arizul, he didn’t like to share
power.

What Lucca didn’t understand is why his
father was shadowing him, but refusing to make contact? He had
sensed someone watching him at Eli’s the other night. He tried to
dismiss it, but he couldn’t anymore. The amulet proved his father
was watching him.

When he entered World’s End, two Darklins
escorted him to the back room where Blaize Kayson sat upon a couch
with two scantily clothed human females—one red headed, most likely
dyed since no human possessed such a vibrant shade of crimson, and
a brunette with breasts that weighed more than the rest of her
body. Blaize with his dark brooding looks and talent mesmerized
millions with his melancholy music on the human realm, but on the
otherworldly aspect of existence, his expertise of breaking into
secure buildings and finding sacred artifacts astounded the
immortals. They would pay exuberant prices to hire him for a job no
one else would touch.

He called Blaize a friend once, knew him
when they were just younglins. They forged a friendship, slipping
through the centuries, and landing in the sixteenth century for a
bit of fun then ended up staying when they met Christopher Marlowe.
Later, they drew William Shakespeare into their band of fun and
living free.

Kit, Will, Blaize, and he gamed together,
drank cheap ale, while they contemplated the reasons for life. They
were stupid youths. They thought they had a lifetime together. No
one realized the good times would end all because of him. He might
as well stamp Angel of Death on his chest to warn people away from
him. If he had, Kit would have lived a long life. Instead, Arizul
cheated him out of it.

Lucca hadn’t crossed Blaize’s path since
that fateful night. It may have something to do with him accusing
Blaize of letting Kit die.

The centuries had been kind to Blaize
Kayson. He looked youthful and vibrant. “Blaize.” He gave the
Darklin a slight bow of respect. It rankled him to do so, but he
stood at a disadvantage with his glamour for the most part bound.
Besides insults would get him nowhere fast and he needed the Dark
Angel’s cooperation.

The women paid Lucca no mind as they pawed
at Blaize and rubbed their bodies suggestively against the Darklin.
With Blaize’s ink black hair and violet eyes, females swooned at
the mere sight of him, yet the women at his side were most likely
glamour enthralled to do his bidding. Lucca had no wish to witness
the three in an illicit depravity of some sort, but he had to play
it cool, act indifferent to the public display. Blaize enjoyed an
audience whether it was on stage or not. Indifference would put a
stop to the Darklin’s theatrics faster than heated words of
disapproval. “Would you like me to film you?” Lucca’s one brow
lifted in question. “I’ve heard sex tapes sell quite well.
Especially if they star a well-known artist.”

Blaize growled, obviously not liking Lucca’s
response to his little show. He snapped his fingers and the women
disengaged their hold on him, sliding out of the booth, and leaving
them alone. Even the Darklin’s bodyguards made themselves
scarce.

“I hope you don’t expect me to be all cozy
with you.” Lucca remained standing, for safety reasons. On his
feet, he’d have a better chance of survival if a fight took
place.

Blaize gave him a brief grin and sat back in
his seat. “Always the smart-arse.”

He shrugged. “No reason to change now.”

“I know, after all this time, this isn’t a
social call. What do you want, Lucca?”

“I have a proposition.”

Blaize studied his black colored fingernails
as if the nail polish might have chipped while he’d been groping
the two women earlier. His gaze met Lucca’s then and he waved his
hand to proceed. “I’m bored, so I’ll hear you out if only to amuse
myself.”

Good, he’d get to the point before Blaize
changed his mind and shimmered away. “I’d like to hire you. I need
to break into the Temple of Moqaddas so I can retrieve Raziel’s
Book of Magic
.”

Blaize’s deep chuckle rankled him. “The
magic book given to Adam and Eve?” His laughter deepened in an
amused chortle at his expense. “Even if I wanted the thrill of
lifting Raziel’s pride and joy, it’s in a Vault and your
daddy
has the key. Isn’t that what you told me? What’s your
need for it anyway?” His violet eyes slid over him. “You’re bound
to the human realm. Even with the book, you won’t be able to time
travel. Stealing it is a waste of your time and mine as well.” His
features darkened. “I believe we’re through here. You know the way
out.” This time, he waved his hand in dismissal and his two guard
dogs appeared, flanking Lucca. They flexed their biceps as if he
missed their beefy appearance moments ago. They each grabbed his
arms in a death grip, ready to escort him outside the bar.

This is where the negotiation would prove
tricky. When he revealed his leverage, the Darklin could kill him
on the spot or begrudgingly help him obtain the book. He hoped it
would be the latter. Really, what choice did he have? Archangels
were breathing down his back, his psychopathic father was on the
loose, and the demons even wanted a piece of him. The ones he
should have been able to turn to, the Watchers, really didn’t a
give a cold day in hell about him. He was on his own and needed to
start thinking what he wanted out of life. First being, he wanted
his wings back, bringing him back to his full strength. He needed
it before his father decided to make his move. “You probably don’t
want to kick me out so soon. Trust me, you’ll want to know what
I’ve found out about your sister.”

Blaize lifted his hand for his lackeys to
release him. “Is that so? Care to enlighten me?” The Darklin
shifted uneasily in his seat. Blaize may be a coldhearted egotist
most of the time, but he cared about his twin, going to great
lengths to keep her safe.

Blaize studied his polished black nails
again, feigning boredom. He was really doing a piss poor job of it,
too. The air hummed around Blaize as he tried to keep his anger in
check. “Sarice does as she pleases. What do I care about your
findings? Take it to her and see if she can break you into the
Temple of Moqaddas.”

Lucca’s grinned. “Oh, you care. She plays
with fire courting one of the Fallen and playing blood games for
fun.” Fallen Angels didn’t need blood to survive, but Darklins did.
The Darklins found their source with the Darklin Blood Banks, not
by bleeding humans dry like ancient vampires were prone to do.
Blooding between a Darklin and the Fallen was a discouraged
practice. The Darklin tended to lose control when feeding, the
craving for Nephilim blood being the factor that drove them.

If the Fallen had a weakness, it was the
euphoria of exchanging blood with a Darklin. One could say it was
the Fallens’ kryptonite. The Fallen wouldn’t care if the Darklin
drained them dry as long as they managed a taste of the Darklin’s
blood before expiring.

“Blooding isn’t forbidden,” Blaize said
offhandedly. “Who am I to dictate who my sister takes her blood
from, be it Watcher or human? If the being consents, so be it.”

Lucca nodded. “So true. My mistake.” He
turned to leave, but threw over his shoulder, “Zaiden surely knows
the risks as well.”

“Zaiden LeGard?” Blaize’s voice rose despite
his attempt at being aloof. “She’s blooding from one of the Guards
of Judgment?”

Lucca gave him a leveled gaze. “Of course, I
thought you knew.”

In a blink of an eye, Blaize appeared in
front of Lucca, his hands at his throat, his violet eyes turning to
blood red. “You know bloody well I didn’t know.” In a rush of
frustration, he flung Lucca back and away from him.

Lucca slammed into the wall, but held his
ground, miraculously staying on his feet.

Blaize paced, his snakeskin boots clicked
noisily on the hardwood floor. The silver on his leather vest
gleamed in the light overhead as if electricity threatened to spark
to life. They both knew if Sarice lost control and bled Zaiden dry,
she wouldn’t have a prayer of being acquitted of killing him. She’d
be hunted down and made an example of, and it wouldn’t be a quick
death. Lucca would only have to put the fillers out and if Zaiden
just happened to die from massive blood loss, well it wouldn’t look
good for sweet Sarice.

“Why do you think I came to you?” Lucca held
out his hands, palms up.